Some publishers, including the one that employs me, give authors two reviews during the publishing process. The first—the review of edit—occurs after the manuscript has been developed and copyedited. During this time, the author sees his or her manuscript for the first time since sending it to the publisher. The author should read the file carefully, answering any queries left by the editor. The author should also make any bigger-picture changes he or she has been considering. Now, I’m not encouraging an author to rewrite the book. I’m saying if the writer thinks an additional paragraph or section is needed to strengthen a point, the author should do it now—before the file is formatted.

Once the file is formatted, a.k.a. begins to look like a book, the author receives a copy as an electronic PDF to do the second review, that is to (1) answer any outstanding queries and (2) confirm that the formatting looks like he or she intended, noting any errors. Errors will usually be surface level; perhaps a figure needs to be closer to its call-out or text should be reworked as a bulleted list. Ideally, major rewriting will not occur at this stage. If a lot of rewriting occurs, the file may have to be edited again, which can delay the book’s release.
In both reviews, I encourage authors to read the file carefully. Resolve all editor queries, and ask any questions that come to mind.

Happy editing!